The first color control is the "Colors" preferences (in menu File / Preferences..., "Display" section, "Colors" tab). The top half of the dialog lists all possible things that can have their color changed:

- The transparent colors (all layers associated with a transparent layer are listed).
- The opaque layers.
- Special colors such as the background, text, etc.

When changing the background color, note that it must contrast with both the highlight color and the inverse of the highlight color (the inverse is black in the default settings).

Electric has three different color schemes which have predefined colors. The commands of the Window / Color Schemes menu let you switch between them. With the Black Background Colors command, the background becomes black; with the White Background Colors command, the background becomes white; with the Restore Default Colors command, the background becomes gray (the default).